"I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live . . ."

As Christians, we believe that death is not an end but a beginning of a new and fuller life with God. Bereaved family and friends can find comfort in the words and actions of the Christian funeral service.

Funeral services at St. Francis are offered for parishioners and others. These services usually include the Holy Eucharist and always include prayers, readings from the Bible, and the commendation of the body or ashes.

The services for Burial Rite I (with more formal language) and Burial Rite II (with more modern language) can be found in the Book of Common Prayer or online.

The prayer book notes the following:The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we too, shall be raised.

The liturgy, therefore, is characterized by joy, in the certainty that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

If you are interested in having a funeral at St. Francis, please call the church office at 703-259-2082 to schedule a time to talk with clergy.

You can also read about funeral costs by clicking here. You may also wish to use the form found here to indicate your wishes for your own funeral. Fill it out and give a copy to your loved ones as well as a copy to the St. Francis office.

The St. Francis Endowment Committee developed a booklet, Planning for Life, which offers us advice on planning for our own end-of-life events, including our funeral..

Ministry of WorshipShare your time and talent through the ministry of worship. The following activities are vital to enriching our Sunday and special services. For more information, call 703.759.2082, email admin@stfrancisgreatfalls.org, or visit our Ministries page for additional details.